Trinity Student Selected for 2016 Humanity in Action Fellowship

​Hartford, Connecticut, May 9, 2016 – Posse Scholar Shanelle Morris ’16, an international studies major with a concentration in Latin America and the Caribbean, is one of 48 students selected from a field of 513 applicants for the 2016 Humanity in Action Fellowship. Originally from Trinidad and Tobago, Morris applied for the fellowship because it combined her interests in human rights, history, and traveling. Morris will spend the summer in Denmark exploring topics such as Islamophobia, xenophobia, and right wing extremism in both contemporary and historical contexts.

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​Shanelle Morris '16

Humanity in Action is an international educational organization that aims to instill values of human dignity and moral responsibility for the protection of the rights of minorities in a new generation of social, cultural, and political leaders. It promotes a dialogue among college students and young professionals to help understand and respond to challenges faced by diverse democratic countries.

Morris applied to the Humanity in Action Fellowship Program in Europe, where the focus will be on American civil rights, Holocaust education, and European security and political issues. Morris said, “I am excited to widen my scope of knowledge, especially at a time when Europe is center-stage because of the ongoing refugee crisis.” The summer sessions will train Humanity in Action fellows on how to engage human rights work in innovative and artistic ways. The fellows will participate in interdisciplinary lectures and discussions with renowned academics, journalists, politicians, and activists. They will also visit government agencies, non-profit and community organizations, museums, and memorials.

“Trinity has prepared me for the intellectually challenging experience I will encounter in Europe,” Morris said. During her four years at Trinity, Morris attended the annual Posse Plus Retreat, which is designed to bring students and staff together to talk about issues such as race, privilege, and class – all of which will be discussed at the fellowship program. “I am grateful for my professors whose readings and class discussions have either challenged or reinforced my beliefs on certain topics,” she said.

Vijay Prashad, George and Martha Kellner Chair in South Asian History and professor of international studies, said that Morris came to Trinity with a worldview already informed by her background in the Caribbean and her interest in world affairs. Prashad said, “She wrote a brilliant senior seminar paper for me on labor from Haiti in the Dominican Republic. It shone a spotlight on dangerously brutal labor practices. She was a perfect recipient of the Humanity in Action fellowship.”